The Walking Dead Review: “Live Bait” (Episode 4.06)

Last season we were introduced to this man who had so much hate, so much rage within him for the world that turned his daughter into a walker and took his wife. In Live Bait they start us off where we last saw him in season 3. The Governor murdering almost all the Woodbury residents who are with him that were refusing to go through with killing Rick’s group. Disappointed with his people he feels he’s left with one choice; take their lives.

Then in a flash with night upon them as The Governor is sitting by a campfire he loses his desire, his will to live, letting a walker get very close to feasting on him. Martinez saves him and he can tell this man is not who he once was. He’s broken, but why? This reaction felt a bit too drastic taking a man with strong convictions and flipping it completely on its head.

When morning comes around The Governor finds himself all alone. Martinez and Shumpert have left him. Time elapses a great deal, The Governor sporting a beard of a good length is wandering the streets with little care. Walkers get seemingly close to him and he moves out of their way with little energy. He is completely out of touch with his surroundings.

Eventually he comes across an apartment complex meeting a family consisting of a sickly father, his two daughters and grandkid. It should be immediately recognized that the mother and daughter in this family are going to bring up memories for The Governor. Reminding him of his dead wife and daughter. Well that surely does happen.

He becomes their silent neighbor who is trying to reinvent himself. For one he tells them his name is Bryan Harriet. Over time this family warms to “Bryan” and lets him in to their happy home. Helping them with their father by getting him a new oxygen tanks from a local retirement home. The Governor having a new found sense of worth cleans up, shaving off the beard, now no longer looking like a pirate.

Towards the end of the episode the expected happens. The father ends up dying and The Governor puts him down after he turns. This leads to The Governor inheriting a new family and becomes their caretaker as they follow him out onto the road looking for a new home.

Live Bait was a huge misstep in my eyes for this show. Last weeks episode Internment was the best of the season and showed they were ready to move the story forward. Well that wasn’t the case. Instead they decide to rewind backwards a bit to show us what The Governor has been up to and while it was not that interesting I don’t think that was the biggest problem here. The drastic change to the character was.

Do we really want to see The Governor become a fun-loving “acting” father? Do we want to see this guy on the path of righteousness trying to correct his misdeeds, to forget his past? Simple answer. No!

Now we will have two camps again, the prison and where ever The Governor ends up, competing for screen time. We’ll probably end up getting one of two things: 1. The Governor trying to join his group with the prison or 2. him losing his new family and for some reason his desire to end Rick’s group resurfacing. I for one was not hoping for The Governor storyline to be dragged out across this entire season and at this point I see it happening just that way. Sigh.

Did you like The Governor’s return in Live Bait? Let us know in the comments below.

Quick Notes:

Ripping out a walkers vocal cords will kill it.

The Governor is the pimp of the apocalypse.

No holds bar walker fight in a pit. Four will enter only The Governor will exit.